


Don't Call in the Middle of Dinner

by Goldy



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Bittersweet, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-15
Updated: 2013-07-15
Packaged: 2017-12-20 05:14:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/883348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goldy/pseuds/Goldy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-Children of Earth, Jack seeks help in another universe, the Doctor mostly just wants a shag, and Rose is confused.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Call in the Middle of Dinner

His first thought was: _Rose tastes like meatballs_. It was an odd thought to have, but there it was all the same. He could go with that—Rose and meatballs, meatballs and Rose. Ooh, he’d like to try saying that ten times fast.

“Mmm,” said Rose, one hand tangling in his hair, lips hovering over his. “You taste like meatballs.”

“I was just thinking that!” the Doctor said, pulling away before kissing her nose. “It _was_ a lovely meal.”

“You barely had any.”

“I found something more appealing.”

Rose snickered. “Cheesy.”

He pulled a mock pout. “Rose, I am a master at seduction.”

“Uh huh,” she said. She hopped up on the kitchen counter and then looped her fingers around his tie, pulling him in closer. Her lips pressed hotly against his. A small part of him regretted leaving their dinner to grow cold. After all, they were celebrating saving the planet—his first time since the metacrisis and their first time as a couple.

Rose had cooked for him and Rose Tyler _never_ cooked—not unless it came out of a box or a tin or grew from a bean. (Jackie Tyler might laugh, but by 2035, bean growth would be all the rage for environmental, organic, back-to-the-earth types). But he was nearly positive he was about to get shagged in their kitchen and—and... and anyway, microwaves were a brilliant invention designed for exactly these sorts of distractions.

He allowed himself a few moments to contemplate the ramifications—perhaps on the table? Would it be sanitary? Did they still have that jar of raspberry jam in the cupboard?—before slipping his hands under her shirt.

Rose made some encouraging noises, nipping lightly at his bottom lip. She reached for his shirt, fumbling with his buttons.

A sudden knock on the door reverberated through the flat and Rose pulled back, face slightly flushed and brow crinkling in confusion.

He leaned back in, trailing one finger behind the shell of her ear. “Ignore it,” he said. “Probably just the Blackburns worried about their cat again.”

“What _did_ happen to that cat?”

“I had nothing to do with it. Well, probably.” Rose looked like she might argue, so the Doctor leaned in and kissed her. Her arms instinctively encircled his neck.

The knock came again.

Rose pulled away, chewing lightly on her bottom lip. “It could be important.”

“Like what?”

Rose blinked. “My mum?” The Doctor shot her an appalled look, but Rose shook her head, “Nah, Mum’d call first. She already thinks we spend all our time having kinky sex.”

“That’s not even physically possible,” said the Doctor before adding, “Hold on, your mum has spent time thinking about our _sex life_?”

“Or Torchwood,” said Rose, ignoring him. “Maybe something to do with the aliens we stopped today.”

She looked like she might move, so he hastily said, “Well, we wrote a report, didn’t we?” He grinned. “Actually, the fact that I wrote a report at all is rather commendable, don’t you reckon?”

Rose smiled at him. It was her you’re-so-silly smile and not her what-an-impressive-Time-Lord smile, but she still looked adorable.

He leaned in again, lips grazing her throat when the knock came a third time.

Rose sighed, and despite his best efforts to look kissable, she pushed him away, hopping off the countertop. Feeling _very_ annoyed at whoever had interrupted them, the Doctor hastily did up his shirt before following her.

He heard the lock unclick and the creak of the door as it swung open. He rounded the corner in time to catch sight of an imposing male figure before Rose squealed and threw herself into the man’s arms.

The Doctor came to a sudden stop.

“Doctor,” greeted the man, releasing Rose and stepping into their flat. The door clicked shut behind him.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows, taking in a slightly battered coat and a cheeky grin. “Captain.”

Jack's eyes swept over him, lingering on his dishevelled tie and jacket. His grin widened. "Hope I’m not interrupting something."

" _Well_..." began the Doctor at the same time as Rose said, "Of course not! Jack, I can't believe this. It's so good to see you."

"Yeah, great," said the Doctor vaguely. He was nearly certain Jack had a reason for crossing parallel worlds and showing up at their front door. And whatever that reason was, the Doctor suspected it wasn’t good. "What are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighbourhood," said Jack. "I thought I'd look up some old friends. The two of you aren't exactly hard to find in this world." He grinned at Rose. "Vitex—what is it exactly? Sounds like some kind of growth enhancement... if you catch my drift."

"Shut up," said Rose, grinning. "You know it's just a drink."

"An _energy_ drink?"

"Stop it," said the Doctor. He wanted to know _why_ Jack was jumping between parallel worlds and what he was doing standing in his flat. He also _really_ wanted Jack to stop flirting with Rose and go away so that he and Rose could finish what they started in the kitchen.

"Always good to see you, Doctor, as usual," said Jack with a tinge of bitterness.

Rose's gaze jumped back and forth between them. "Jack, why don't you come on in?" she said brightly. "Are you hungry? We were just finishing up dinner."

****

The Doctor leaned back against the counter, folding his arms across his chest. He tried very, very hard not to think about how he’d very nearly had Rose naked on the countertop before Jack showed up.

“Rose, this is great,” said Jack, as Rose handed over a plate— _his_ plate—of meatballs. “Really great. When did you learn to cook?”

Rose giggled—sounding girlish and not at all like herself. “I save my talents for special occasions.”

Jack winked at her. “Rose, you shouldn’t have.”

Rose giggled again. The Doctor glared at Jack.

“Oh, this _is_ good,” said Jack, around a mouthful of meatballs. He smiled warmly at Rose, but there was something distant about his eyes. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? Too long.”

The Doctor shifted slightly, studying Jack more closely. There was something... off about him. But it was more than that—there was something in the way he looked at Rose. The Doctor tensed, suddenly _more_ on edge. He didn’t envy Jack’s immortality, but he wouldn’t stand for him blaming Rose, not in his own house.

Rose also seemed to sense something was wrong. She reached across the table, resting her hand on Jack’s. “So come on, then, what are you doing here? It’s not every day we get old friends popping in from parallel worlds.”

“I’ve got this,” said Jack, holding up his wrist and showing Rose his Time Agent Vortex Manipulator. “Turns out, it can take me pretty much anywhere.” His gaze cut over to the Doctor. “I thought I could use some guidance from an old friend.”

“I’ve told you not to use that thing,” said the Doctor. “And anyway, travel between parallel worlds is impossible, you know that.”

“Oh, that’s right, I forgot,” said Jack. “Only _Rose_ is allowed to travel between parallel worlds. It’s too ‘dangerous’ for the rest of us.”

There was a moment of awkward silence, and then Rose said, “I’m sure Jack was careful. You were, Jack, yeah? Careful?”

Jack shrugged. “I know what I’m doing.”

“I’m glad you’ve come,” Rose said. “Last time, everything happened so fast, and I wasn’t expecting—” she glanced over at the Doctor, flushed, and then turned back to Jack, “I mean... I suppose I thought I’d have more time to catch up.”

The Doctor looked away and swallowed. That day on the beach was something they had both done their best to forget—or at least ignore. Those first few days had been so confusing and painful that neither of them liked to dwell on it.

“About that,” said Jack, “there are so many questions I have for you, Rose.”

The Doctor’s head snapped over. He met Jack’s gaze and shook his head.

“Doctor?” said Rose. She turned around in her seat. “What’s going on?”

“I think...” he began slowly, “Jack has some unresolved issues he’s trying to sort out. Maybe he’s laying blame where it doesn’t deserve to be laid. What do you reckon, Jack?”

Jack bowed his head and then massaged his temples. When he raised his head, the empty and distant look in his eyes had gone. In its place were the eyes of a man who had hit rock bottom and was struggling to hold onto his sanity.

The Doctor recognized that look—he _knew_ that look. It was the last look he wanted to see reflected in any of his companion’s eyes—even Jack’s.

“Jack, what’s going on?” said Rose. “Come on. You travelled all this way for a reason.”

“Because you didn’t know— _couldn’t know_ ,” said Jack. “It hasn’t happened on this world. It can’t happen on this world.”

Rose and the Doctor exchanged a look. “What hasn’t happened?” said Rose.

“The 456,” said Jack.

“The what?” said the Doctor.

“456,” Jack repeated. “That’s what we called them. It was the same frequency they used to communicate with us. They were going to destroy us. Not just the planet, but everything... everything we stood for.” He paused, swallowing. “They killed Ianto.”

“I’m sorry,” Rose murmured. She squeezed Jack’s hand. “I take it the... um, the Doctor didn’t show?”

The Doctor glanced over in surprise, but Rose was obviously trying not to look in his direction.

“No help at all,” said Jack. “And even if he was in the area... well, it wasn’t exactly our finest moment.”

The Doctor scratched at the back of his neck, feeling more and more uncomfortable. “What were they after?”

“Children,” said Jack simply.

“Children?” said the Doctor. “Blimey, that’s a bit... gruesome.”

Rose shot him a ‘well, duh’ look, but Jack didn’t seem bothered. “They were drugs,” said Jack. “They were using children for drugs, and they came to Earth expecting us to be their dealers.”

The Doctor began to get a bad feeling—a _very_ bad feeling.

“I had to stop them.”

“What did you do, Jack?” said the Doctor as Jack hesitated. “Jack, _what did you do_?”

“I destroyed them,” said Jack. He smiled, lips tight. “I killed my own grandson. His life to save millions. I guess Ianto wasn’t quite enough for them.”

****

The Doctor hadn’t listened to the rest. He mumbled a quick “I’ve got to go” before scurrying into the bedroom and closing the door.

He could just make out Rose and Jack speaking in the kitchen, but he couldn’t hear what they were saying. That suited him fine. He sat down at the computer and clicked on the web browser. He rubbed his forehead, staring blankly at the page before reaching for his glasses and hacking into Torchwood’s internal search engine.

He chanced a glance behind him to make sure he was alone and then did a quick search for ‘Ianto Jones.’ Married—and with two children. Well, there went one idea.

He sat back in the chair, glasses dangling from his fingertips. It unsettled him to have Jack on _this_ Earth, sitting in his kitchen and getting on with Rose like no time had passed. He still felt an itch in the back of his neck when he looked at Jack. Looking at him still felt wrong—like the entire universe bent around him.

The bedroom door creaked open and the Doctor hastily exited out of Torchwood’s search engine before swivelling the chair around.

It was Rose. “Doctor, what’s going on?” she said, closing the door behind her and keeping her voice low.

“How do you mean?”

“You just... you ran away from him.”

“Did I?” said the Doctor vaguely. He returned to the computer, hoping Rose might leave him alone if he seemed busy.

She sighed and then came up beside him, resting her hip against the desk. “Hits a little too close to home, doesn’t it?”

The Doctor tried very hard to ignore her stare. “Too close to home...? Rose, I didn’t have a choice when I destroyed Gallifrey. Jack did.”

“You don’t know that.”

“There’s always another choice.”

“Oh, come on,” said Rose, “if anyone would understand what he’s going through, it’d be you.”

The Doctor looked up at her and then immediately wished he hadn’t. She looked angry and hurt—two things that he hated seeing in Rose’s eyes.

“Sacrificing one to save the many is a dangerous road,” said the Doctor. “It never stops.”

Rose’s stare didn’t waver. “You should talk to him.”

“And say what, exactly?”

“I dunno, anything!” said Rose. “You saw how he was—he’s lost everything, Doctor. And you can’t even take the time to talk to him for two seconds?”

“We talked!” said the Doctor. “Not ten minutes ago. You were there.”

“That’s not even...” she trailed off, and then jumped to her feet. “Fine, then, stay in here and sulk. I’m gonna go talk to him.”

 _Sulk_? He didn’t _sulk_. “Rose,” he called after.

She stopped, took a breath, and then turned around. “Yeah?”

He had an inkling that ‘ _Is he going to be staying long ‘cos I’d quite fancy getting back to what we started in the kitchen?_ ’ wouldn’t go over well. He cleared his throat. “How about you? Are you... all right?”

Her mouth tightened in a thin line and she took a few steps closer to him. “No, I’m not _alright_.”

“Oh.” He thought for a moment, trying to think of something that would sound reassuring. “Rose, it’s Jack—he’ll pull through. He just needs some time.”

If possible, Rose seemed even _angrier_. “And what if it was _me_?” she said. “I spent _years_ of my life without you and working for Torchwood. What if I made a decision like that—” her voice caught. “Would you do the same to me, just toss me out with a pat on the head and a ‘Well, you’ll be alright?’”

“What?” he said. “Of course not.” He got a good look at the expression on her face and jumped to his feet. “Rose, have you...?”

She looked away. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Rose,” he said. He took a few steps towards her. “Rose, I would _never_. Not to you.”

She absorbed this quietly, so he tucked a stand of hair behind her ear, fingers trailing over the shell of her ear before he pulled his hand back.

“Rose?”

“He just needs help,” Rose said. She shifted her gaze to his. “You still do that, yeah? Help people?”

“Yeah,” he swallowed. “It’s different with Jack, though. There are things...”

“What, that he can’t die and that he’s old enough to have a grandson?” said Rose. “Yeah, I’ve figured a few of them out. Are you ever going to tell me why?”

He stared at her silently, saying nothing.

“Right,” Rose whispered.

“Rose—” he said desperately as she turned away. He knew she was upset with him and he could hardly stand it. “Rose, I love you.”

“Yeah. I know.” She opened the door to the bathroom and talked over her shoulder. "Go and talk to him. I'm taking a bath."

The Doctor sighed as the door shut firmly behind her. Their happy celebration in the kitchen suddenly felt like a distant memory.

****

The Doctor found Jack in the living room, sitting on the sofa with his feet propped up on the coffee table. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and approached him cautiously.

“The man that never stops,” Jack said in greeting. He gestured around the living room. “And here you are, playing house with Rose. How about that.”

The Doctor scratched the back of his neck. “We do still save the world every once in a while.”

“And all that time,” Jack continued, “I had that hand of yours on my desk at Torchwood. Who would have guessed it would turn out to be the key to your happily ever after?”

“It’s a little more complicated than that.”

“What’s it like, Doctor?” Jack shifted his feet off the coffee table and leaned forward. “Being mortal for the first time in your life?”

The Doctor stared at him wearily. “It’s not easy, Jack,” he finally said. “I used to think I had all the time in the world. Now everything moves quickly. I’m hurtling towards the end every moment of every day.” The Doctor paused. “But _humans_ —they don’t just stop. They make these unbelievably _stupid_ decisions—sometimes completely beyond all reason. But they never stop and they never give up.”

“Sounds like you’re fitting right in.”

“Maybe.”

“You live a life like this, it might be easy to forget.” Jack sat back comfortably on the sofa, linking his hands behind his head. “You might start thinking that you belong, that you’re one of them.”

The Doctor pinched the bridge of his nose, beginning to lose his patience. “Right. Listen—”

“How did you feel, after the Time War?”

The Doctor stopped mid-sentence. He closed his mouth, eyeing Jack silently. Thinking about the Time War brought on a familiar wave of self-disgust and guilt—but one he hadn’t dealt with in a long time. It was like... finding an old and well-read book in the sofa cushions. He knew how the story went, but he hadn’t read it in years.

Jack watched him quietly. “Haven’t thought about it in a while, huh?”

The Doctor sighed and sat down on the sofa next to Jack. “Jack, I’m not much of an example to follow.” He paused. “You saved millions. You saved your _entire planet_. I destroyed mine. Everyone I loved—my friends, my family, everything. And for what? The Daleks aren’t gone. They will always come back.”

Jack watched him intently, suddenly hanging off every word. “How do you live with it? The knowledge of everything you’ve done?”

The Doctor opened his mouth and then closed it. He thought about what his other self said that day on the beach—that he’d committed genocide, that he was too dangerous to be left on his own. He vaguely considered suggesting that self-hatred was a good first step.

“I have Rose,” he finally said.

“Is that enough?”

The Doctor shrugged. It had been—and then he’d lost Rose to another universe and he’d hit bottom. He sometimes wondered what he’d do on this world, stuck as a human, stuck without a TARDIS, if he didn’t have Rose. The thought never led anywhere good.

“You must have people back home,” said the Doctor. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you can’t hide from the people who care about you. You’ll never be able to forget what happened, but running away to another universe isn’t going to help.”

“It’s a good first step,” said Jack with a shrug. He scrubbed his hands over his face and then turned to the Doctor. “Doctor, I’ve got to know. When I sacrificed Steven... was it the right choice? Was there another way?”

“I don’t know, Jack. I really don’t know.”

Jack nodded and then turned away, gaze falling blankly on the coffee table. “I should have died that day on Satellite Five. For a while there I thought I could make a difference... I could be like you. I could help people. But that was never how my life was supposed to go. What was it that you said? I’m wrong.”

“Fixed point in time,” the Doctor murmured. Then he shook his head. “Let’s get one thing straight, Jack. That way you looked at Rose—that will _never_ happen again. Not if you want to stay as a guest in our house. And believe me, you do not want to make enemies with us.”

Jack stared at him. “ _That’s_ what you’re taking away from this?”

“You’ve had a rough time of it lately,” said the Doctor, “you’ve done things, seen things that you’re not proud of. I understand that.” He paused. “Maybe a part of you—a part of you that you could always ignore before—is blaming Rose. That stops now.”

“Thanks for the pep talk, Doctor,” said Jack. “It’s been... inspirational. One of your best. You should do self-help books.”

The Doctor shifted awkwardly and searched for something new to say. “Oh, I looked up Ianto Jones in this world, by the way.” He paused. “Married. To a woman, apparently. Sorry.”

“Good,” said Jack. “It’s better for him if I stay far away.”

“Right,” said the Doctor. Blimey, had he always sounded this piteous? He stood up. “Jack, if you need anything...”

Jack suddenly perked up. “Since you ask, you and Rose wouldn’t happen to need someone new in the bedroom to spice things up?”

“Ooh, let me think,” said the Doctor. “No.”

“Come on, I don’t bite,” said Jack. He grinned. “Much.”

“No. Absolutely not. Never.”

“Can’t blame a guy for trying,” said Jack, winking.

The Doctor eyed him suspiciously. “Listen, you’re welcome to stay here overnight, but tomorrow morning...”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Jack, waving his hand. “Back to my own universe. I get the message.” He paused to think. “I might look the other you up.”

“Oh-ho, he’ll love that,” the Doctor muttered.

***

Jack was right about one thing. He _hadn’t_ thought about the Time War in a while.

Talking to Jack drudged it all up again. Much as he would like to think about the Time War as a problem for a man in another universe to deal with, it was still in him. He doubted that would ever change.

It left him feeling exhausted. He wanted Rose, and he wanted a cuddle, and he wanted to wake up in the morning to find Jack gone.

He poked his head in the bedroom. It was empty. “Rose?”

“In here!”

He followed the sound of her voice to the bathroom and didn’t knock before entering. They had spent a couple months being shy with each other after being left on Bad Wolf Bay, but that felt like a distant memory. He couldn’t think of anyone he’d ever felt more at ease with than Rose.

Rose was in the tub, sitting in a pool of warm water. Her hair was still dry, so she couldn’t have been there long.

“Hey,” he said, closing the door behind him.

“Oh, darn,” Rose said. “That was you? I was hoping for Jack.”

“Haha, very drôle.” He paused. “You _are_ kidding, right?”

Rose smiled mysteriously, drawing her knees up to her chest. “How did it go?”

“Oh, not bad,” said the Doctor. He unbuttoned his jacket and draped it over the door handle before rolling up his sleeves and crouching down next to the tub. “Would you like some help?”

Rose blinked at him. “Listen, normally I’d want to, but it’d... be weird with Jack right outside.” She paused. “Not to mention that I’m still angry with you.”

“No, I didn’t mean—” he sighed and then reached for a sponge, dipping it in the sudsy water before raising his eyebrows in Rose’s direction.

“Oh,” Rose said, flushing. “Sure... yeah, I mean... it’d be nice.” He wrung out the sponge and then smoothed it over Rose’s neck and shoulders. She hummed appreciatively. “Mmm. Feels good.”

“Still angry with me, then?”

She turned her head to smile at him. “Not if you promise to do my hair.”

“Promise,” he said, not bothering to hide his grin. Somehow, knowing things were going to be okay with Rose made him feel loads better. “Rose, you said something before,” he began. “About when we were separated?”

Rose linked her arms around her knees and rested her chin on her legs. “How is he getting on? Jack?”

The Doctor sighed. She’d obviously picked up a few avoidance tricks from him over the years. He wasn’t sure he liked it.

“He’s not exactly singing from rooftops, but he should pull through,” he said. “Come on, let’s do your hair.”

Rose nodded and dunked under the water. The Doctor reached for the shampoo and squeezed a dollop into his hands.

“It’s hard, what he’s going through,” the Doctor said as he worked the shampoo through Rose’s hair. “He blames himself. Thinks he’s better off on his own.”

“Sounds like someone else I know,” Rose mumbled. She closed her eyes, relaxing under his ministrations.

“Rose—” he pressed, “about before... tell me? Please.”

“Yeah, ‘cos you’ve always been open with me about everything in your past.”

“Rose,” he pleaded quietly.

“Oh, all right,” she said. “Just let me dunk.”

She submerged under the water. When she emerged, she reached for the conditioner bottle herself, and then attacked her hair with extra vehemence.

The Doctor sat back on his haunches, watching her quietly.

Finally, she began. “You make decisions every day—little ones, you know, like who gets to go out on the field and who gets to hang back and write the reports. And then sometimes people get killed and it feels like you’re fault even though it’s not ‘cos they chose to be out there and they wanted to be. So you live with it and it’s alright, but sometimes...”

She dragged her fingers through her hair and sent him a strained smile like she was debating whether or not she wanted to continue. “Sometimes it’s not their choice,” said the Doctor. “They don’t know what they’re getting into, not really.”

“Exactly,” said Rose. “Back when I first started at Torchwood, there was this... this one alien. It was a skinny little thing, with yellow spots and covered in green slime. It was on its own—said he wanted us to help him find his way home. Mickey didn’t trust him, but I didn’t listen.”

“What happened?”

“He was poisonous,” Rose said. “Scientists started getting sick, one by one. Nobody had ever seen anything like it. We didn’t know what to do—Dad wanted to start working on an antidote, but people weren’t just sick, they were getting _mean_. Like... like that rabid cat that used to live on the Powell Estates. And that whole time, I kept thinking, ‘If the Doctor were here, he’d take one sample of the poison and find a cure in three seconds.’”

“Rose, you’ve probably noticed, but there tends to be a rather high body count that follows me around.”

“Don’t say that,” Rose said. “I was in that world without you, remember?” She paused and then added, “I still have nightmares about that world.”

She lapsed into silence, so the Doctor stood up and reached for the nearest towel. He held it out for her and she stepped out of the tub, wrapping herself in the towel.

“Thanks.”

“What did you do?” the Doctor said. “I take it you never found an antidote?”

Rose shook her head. “We isolated everyone that had been infected—them and the alien. We didn’t let anything in or out.”

The Doctor stared at her. “You let them starve.”

“We didn’t have to. They killed each other first—it was like I said, they... changed. They weren’t even human anymore. We couldn’t let it leave Torchwood and infect the rest of the world. So we just... we sat back and did nothing.” She paused and took a deep breath. “The alien died with them. Thing is, I still don’t think he was trying to hurt us. He was scared—that’s all. Reacting ‘cos we took him in and chained him up and experimented on him. Can’t say I blame him.”

Rose stared blankly at the opposite wall for a second before pushing past him and into the bedroom. He followed her quietly, hanging back as she dropped the towel in a lump at her feet and pulled on her pyjamas. There, she sat down on the edge of the bed, hands folded in her lap and wet hair dripping down her back.

“I can’t stop thinking about the noises they made as they died.” She wiped her at her cheeks. “I keep thinking—I just need time and it’ll go away. But it never does.”

“No. It might fade, but it will never go away. Not completely.” He stepped around her towel and then sat down next to her. “You did the best you could, Rose. There was no other choice.”

She smiled faintly, pressing her knees together. “Is that what you said to Jack?”

“More or less.”

She snorted, muttering something that sounded like “right, sure” before turning to face him. “You really don’t think it was the wrong thing to do?”

He reached out, grasping one of the hands on her lap with his, thumb sweeping over her wrist. “Rose, I trust you. I _know_ you. You’ve always done the right thing.”

Rose flushed, looking faintly embarrassed like she was sceptical he could have that much faith in her. “And what about Jack?”

“I trust him, too! Well, mostly—with some things. Sometimes. And anyway—we worked things out.”

“Yeah, but you’re not shagging Jack.”

“Much to his disappointment.”

Rose smiled crookedly and then leaned into him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close. She rested her head against his chest, wet hair leaving a wet patch on his jacket.

“How long is he staying? Jack?”

“Not long,” said the Doctor. “It’s dangerous having him here. He doesn’t belong.”

“This isn’t exactly our world either.”

“It’s different for Jack,” said the Doctor. “He’s... different.”

“Wish you’d tell me about that.” Rose poked him in the chest to show she wasn’t up for a row. But then she dropped her voice and said, “I wonder how he’s getting on.”

The Doctor knew right away she was no longer talking about Jack. “I’m sure he’s fine,” he said lightly. “I always was.”

“It’s weird, though, all of Earth’s children in danger and he didn’t show up...” Rose bit down on her bottom lip. “Maybe I should talk to Jack—ask him to bring him some sort of note. What do you think?”

The Doctor swallowed heavily. If he had been braver—if he wasn’t so terrified of losing her—he might have suggested that Rose go with Jack. As it was, he couldn’t bring himself to take the chance, small as it was, that she might take him up on that offer.

“I think he’d like that,” he said instead. “A ‘hello.’”

“Yeah?”

“Yes.”

“Okay,” said Rose, “then I will.”

She snuggled back against him, idly fiddling with his tie. “You all right? You’ve been... quiet.”

“Yeah,” he said, thoughts flitting to the Time War again. He held Rose a little tighter. “It’s been a strange night.”

Rose snorted. “You can say that again."

She tilted her head up and pressed her lips to his in a long and lingering kiss. Normally things between them would quickly become more heated, but they both seemed to be operating under the understanding that it was too weird with Jack only a few steps away.

“Rose Tyler, I have a preposition,” he said, when she broke away, “how would you feel about spending the next few hours hugging?”

Rose grinned, nuzzling her nose against his neck. “Thought you’d never ask.”

***

“You two are disgusting,” said Jack over the morning’s newspaper as Rose pressed a kiss to the Doctor’s cheek on her way to the coffee pot. “I mean that.”

“Let’s see,” Rose said, “two people who care about each other and showing affection for each other in their own home? You’re right. Absolutely disgusting.”

She poured herself a mug of coffee and the Doctor sent Jack a smug look. “She’s got you there, mate.”

He didn’t add that he’d been feeling especially close to Rose since she told him what had happened with Torchwood. He knew she felt it, too, even if she was still worried about Jack.

“You two weren’t this bad back on the TARDIS. Sure there was all the handholding and the longing looks and don’t even get me started on the jealous—oh, great, you’re kissing again.”

The Doctor waved a vague hand in Jack’s direction like this might make him shut up and go away. Rose tasted like coffee and toothpaste and he suddenly had a whole new appreciation for being able to kiss her without comments from the peanut gallery.

Jack sounded amused. “Sure, rub in everything I’m missing. My offer from last night still stands, by the way.”

Rose pulled away, frowning. “What offer?”

“Nothing important,” said the Doctor. Then he turned to Jack. “Captain, as lovely as it’s been—”

“Right, my cue to leave,” said Jack, as he swallowed the last bit of toast on his plate. He stood up, brushing crumbs off his hands. “It’s been great seeing you two kids make a go of it. Gives me hope.”

“Thanks,” Rose said. “I just wish... if there was any way you could come back and visit...”

The Doctor cleared his throat.

“Strictly world-in-peril situations only, Rose. You know the rules,” Jack said with a nod in the Doctor’s direction. Rose nodded, biting lightly on her thumbnail like she wanted to say something else, but Jack added, “Oh, come here.”

He opened his arms and Rose hugged him tightly. “You gona to be okay?”

“Yeah,” said Jack, slowly releasing her. “Besides, I can’t keep running forever. Even if I’ve learned from the best.”

“Oi!” said the Doctor lightly.

Rose pulled away, and then said nervously, “Jack, will you take this?” she pulled an envelope out of her back-pocket. “It’s for.... well, you know who it’s for. Just... in case you happen to run into him.”

Jack nodded. “Of course.” He took the envelope, tucking it into the pocket of his coat before looking at the Doctor. “Well, Doctor, guess it’s goodbye.”

“Look after yourself,” he said. “Goodbye, Jack.”

Jack saluted and then took a deep breath. “I’ll be seeing you both.” With one last wink, he turned and disappeared down the hall. A moment later, they heard the door open and then click into place behind him.

The Doctor released a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. He glanced over at Rose and found her staring deeply into her coffee mug.

“Rose?”

“Do you want to know what I put in the letter?” she said abruptly, looking up.

“I... dunno,” he said, caught off-guard.”Should I want to know?”

Her shoulders slumped and she leaned back against the counter. “No. I don’t think so. Anyway—it doesn’t matter. I’m here with you, aren’t I? Even if there was some way... I mean, if we could do what Jack can... I’d still want to be here.”

“Me, too.”

Rose smiled at him and then reached for his hand. She drank the rest of her coffee in one gulp.

“Now,” she said, turning to him with a distinctly more playful smile. “We were in the middle of something last night when Jack interrupted, weren’t we?”


End file.
